New species and a new record of the mite family Scutacaridae (Acari: Heterostigmata) from alpine New Zealand
Author
Khaustov, Alexander A.
Author
Minor, Maria A.
text
Zootaxa
2018
2018-11-02
4508
4
507
550
journal article
28032
10.11646/zootaxa.4508.4.2
8874d4e3-3222-4abc-801d-d8c53429c7f8
1175-5326
2607410
F0369CC8-FF4B-4D96-BAE2-48A83418739E
Scutacarus spinisetus
sp. nov.
(
Figs 23–26
)
Description.
FEMALE (
Figs 23–26
). Length of idiosoma 175 (175), width 155 (150).
Gnathosoma
. Width of
gnathosoma
17 (19).
Gnathosoma
completely covered by tergite C. Dorsal median apodeme indistinct. All gnathosomal setae smooth. Postpalpal setae needle-like, weakly blunt-ended, situated anterolaterally to setae
cha
. Other gnathosomal setae pointed. Setae
cha
7 (8),
chb
9 (10). Setae
dFe
slightly shorter than
dGe
. Ventral surface of
gnathosoma
not visible in available specimens. Pharyngeal pumps indistinct.
Idiosomal dorsum
(
Figs 23A
,
26A
). Free margins of tergite C striated (not illustrated on
Fig. 23A
). All dorsal shields with numerous round dimples (
Fig. 26A
). Prodorsum completely covered by tergite C. Lateral propodosomal spine present. Stigmata elongate, located dorsally. Anterior corners of prodorsum with short hornlike projections. Posterior parts of tergites C, D and EF with row of u-shaped elevations. Trichobothria with long stem, clavate, sparsely barbed, with rounded apex. Setae
e
,
f
,
h
1
, and
h
2
with few weak barbs, other dorsal setae smooth. Setae
e
and
h
2
pointed, other dorsal setae weakly blunt-ended. Setae
d
,
e
,
f
,
h
1
, and
h
2
distinctly thickened in basal half, spiniform. Cupules
ia
on tergite D and
ih
on tergite H small, round. Posterior margin of tergite H with weak tongue-like projection. Lengths of dorsal setae:
v
2
6 (7),
sc
2
7 (6),
c
1
14 (14),
c
2
10 (10),
d
10 (10),
e
17 (19),
f
14 (14),
h
1
19 (18),
h
2
16 (17). Distances between setae:
v
2
–v
2
34
(40),
sc
2
–sc
2
30 (37),
c
1
–
c
1
44 (47),
c
1
–
c
2
41 (42),
d–d
120 (120),
e–f
31 (33),
f–f
71 (70),
h
1
–
h
1
23 (25),
h
1
–
h
2
35 (34).
Idiosomal venter
(
Figs 23B
,
26B
). Ventral plates with dimples as on dorsal shields (
Fig. 26B
). Setae 2
b
bluntended and thickened, other ventral setae pointed. Setae 2
a
, 2
b
, 3
b
, 4
a
,
ps
1
, and
ps
3
smooth, setae 3
a
and
ps
2
with one small barb each, other ventral setae distinctly barbed. Posterior margin of aggenital plate with deep incision. Secondary transverse apodeme absent. Ap1, ap2 and apsej well developed and joined with appr; ap3 weak, linear, ap4 short; ap5 absent. Ags bell-like; pgs triangular. Posterior part of posterior sternal plate with row of u-shaped elevations. Lengths of ventral setae: 1
a
23 (24), 1
b
19 (19), 2
a
15 (14), 2
b
20 (21), 3
a
14 (16), 3
b
20 (21), 3
c
27 (28), 4
a
18 (17), 4
b
51 (53), 4
c
34 (36),
ps
1
12 (11),
ps
2
10 (9),
ps
3
5 (5).
FIGURE 22.
DIC micrographs of
Scutacarus incisus
sp. nov.
, female: A—anterior half of the body in dorsal view, Bposterior half of the body in dorsal view, C—anterior half of the body in ventral view, D—posterior half of the body in ventral view.
FIGURE 23.
Scutacarus spinisetus
sp. nov.
, female: A—dorsum of the body, B—venter of the body. Legs omitted.
Legs
(
Figs 24
,
25
). Leg I (
Fig. 24A
). Leg setation: Tr 1, Fe 3, Ge 4, TiTa 16(4). Tibiotarsus without pretarsus and claw. Tibiotarsus cylindrical, with pinnaculum bearing seta
tc”
. Lengths of solenidia
ω
1
11 (12),
ω
2
11 (11),
φ
1
8 (7),
φ
2
8 (8);
φ
1
clavate,
ω
1
finger-shaped,
ω
2
and
φ
2
uniformly thin. Setae
d
,
l’
,
v”
of femur and
l’
of genu weakly blunt-ended; setae
l”
and
v’
of genu distinctly blunt-ended; other leg setae (except eupathidia) pointed. Setae
l’
and
v”
of femur smooth; other leg setae (except eupathidia) barbed. Leg II (
Fig. 24B
). Leg setation: Tr 1, Fe 3, Ge 3, Ti 4(1), Ta 6(1). Tarsus with symmetrical hooked claws and flipper-like empodium. Solenidion
ω
12 (12) fingershaped, solenidion
φ
5 (5) weakly clavate. Seta
pl”
spine-like, weakly barbed; setae
d
,
l’
and
v”
of femur weakly blunt-ended, other leg setae pointed. Setae
l’
,
v”
of femur and
u’
,
tc”
of tarsus smooth, other leg setae barbed. Leg III (
Fig.25A
). Leg setation: Tr 1, Fe 2, Ge 2, Ti 4(1), Ta 6. Claws and empodium as on tarsus II. Solenidion
φ
4 (3) weakly clavate. Seta
pl”
spine-like, smooth; seta
d
of femur weakly blunt-ended, other leg setae pointed. Setae
v’
of trochanter,
u’
and
tc”
of tarsus smooth, other leg setae barbed. Leg IV (
Fig. 25B
). Leg setation: Tr 1, Fe 2, Ge 1, TiTa 7. Tibiotarsus short, slightly longer than its width. All leg setae barbed. Seta
d
of femur blunt-ended, other leg setae pointed. Trochanter dorsally with short spine-like projection.
MALE and LARVA unknown.
Type material
. Female
holotype
:
New Zealand
, Central
Otago
, Old Man’s Range,
45° 20' 3.78"S
,
169° 12' 25.26"E
,
1649 m
a.s.l., in soil and debris under
Dracophyllum muscoides
cushion plant,
17 February 2014
(M. Minor),
paratype
:
1 female
,
New Zealand
, Central
Otago
, Old Man’s Range,
45° 20' 3.78"S
,
169° 12' 25.26"E
,
1649 m
a.s.l., in bare soil between cushion plants,
17 February 2014
(M. Minor).
Type deposition
. The
holotype
is deposited in the
New Zealand
National Arthropod Collection,
Auckland
,
New Zealand
;
1 paratype
is deposited in the mite collection of the
Tyumen
State University Museum of Zoology
,
Tyumen
,
Russia
.
Differential diagnosis
. The new species is most similar to
Scutacarus radiculatus
Mahunka, 1969
, described from
Bolivia
(
Mahunka 1969
), by the absence of the claw on tibiotarsus I and the short, thick dorsal hysterosomal setae. It can be distinguished from the latter by setae 4
b
more than two times longer than 4
a
(vs. subequal in
S. radiculatus
), by smooth setae
ps
1
(vs. distinctly barbed in
S. radiculatus
), and by setae
ps
3
distinctly separated from
ps
2
(vs.
ps
3
situated close to
ps
2
in
S
.
radiculatus
).
Etymology
. The name of the new species is a combination of two Latin words:
spina
meaning
spine
and
seta
meaning
bristle
and refers to the presence of short spiniform setae on the hysterosomal dorsum.